The invention relates to improvements in machines for brewing coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and other hot beverages. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in machines of the type wherein the outlet for a freshly brewed beverage is disposed at a level above a support for a vessel which is to collect the dispensed beverage and the support is adjacent a heating unit, particularly an electric heater for water, milk or another liquid which is to be heated and thereupon contacted with comminuted coffee beans, comminuted tea leaves or another flavoring agent serving to influence the color, taste and/or aroma of the liquid.
It is well known to install in the housing of a coffee or tea making machine a container for a supply of liquid (such as water or milk) to be heated, a heating unit which serves to raise the temperature of the liquid, a filter holder, a conduit (such as a riser) which serves to convey heated liquid from the heating unit to the filter holder wherein the liquid is contacted by comminuted coffee beans or tea leaves, and a warming plate or another suitable support for a vessel which is to receive the freshly brewed beverage from the filter holder. The support is heated by the heating unit so that the temperature of the beverage which is collected by the vessel resting on the support is maintained within a desired range. The vessel can constitute a coffee pot, a tea pot, a thermos (vacuum) bottle or any other suitable receptacle for a freshly brewed beverage. A coffee or tea pot can be made of glass or porcelain, in contrast to a thermos which can comprise a bottle of glass or the like within a jacket of heat insulating material. Certain of these materials can stand elevated temperatures; therefore, the respective vessels can be placed directly onto a support which is in contact with an electric heater so that its temperature can reach a value at which a vessel made of other material would undergo permanent damage. For example, many types of glass can stand elevated temperatures and can divide the temperature uniformly or nearly uniformly all around the confined supply of a freshly brewed beverage. Such vessels are provided with handles of heat insulating material so that the operator of the machine can avoid direct contact with the glass wall of the vessel. Moreover, rapid distribution of heat which was transferred to such vessel by the intensively heated support of the coffee or tea making machine ensures that the temperature of the bottom part of the vessel rapidly decreases so that the bottom part can be placed onto a table, a counter or a like piece of furniture which is made of a heat-sensitive material without causing damage thereto. As a rule, or at least in many instances, the bottom part is made of a metallic material.
If the material is a vessel serving to store a freshly brewed hot beverage is a poor conductor of heat, the placing of such vessel directly onto an intensively heated warming plate or a like support results in excessive heating of the bottom part of the vessel so that the thus heated bottom part is highly likely or practically certain to destroy, damage or at least deface a table, a counter or another piece of furniture serving as a rest for the vessel. Attempts to overcome such problems include the establishment of direct or indirect heat transmitting connections between the heating unit and the support for vessels. Thus, if the bottom part of a vessel which is to be used with a particular machine is incapable of standing elevated temperatures or should not be heated to an elevated temperature because it is a relatively poor conductor of heat, the support is placed at a greater distance from the heating unit. Such undertaking reduces the likelihood of overheating certain types of vessels; however, the solution is rather primitive, impractical and expensive.